Summary
Gears of War: Reloadedfeels like a landmark moment for gaming. While many games have started to cross-pollinate once-rival platforms, likeThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion RemasteredandForza Horizon,Gears of Waris a title so synonymous with Microsoft and Xbox that itcoming to PlayStationat one point would have felt like blasphemy. But such is the time that we live in, in just two short months, that is precisely what is happening.
Unfortunately, however, while much of the world will be fighting off hordes of Locusts on their platform of choice, one region will be restricted toXboxand PC, with the game failing to get the classification it needed for release on thePlayStation 5.
Gears Of War: Reloaded’s PS5 Version Has Been Canceled In Japan
Following its appearance at the Xbox Summer Showcase, the Japanese Xbox Wire siteuploaded a story(viaGame Spark) regarding Gears of War: Reloaded. While much of the story reads the same as the Western version of Xbox Wire, it starts with a notice that reads:
“Due to regional rating restrictions and platform policies, Gears of War: Reloaded will not be released for PlayStation 5 in Japan. Domestic players will still be able to play the game on launch day through Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Game Pass, and Steam. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to players in Japan who have been waiting for the release of this game.”
The main factors were the blood, gory depictions, and intense violence, which prevented it from receiving a CERO rating.
While Japan uses the CERO classification for its games, much like the West uses PEGI or ESRB, many games in the country can be released with anIARC/IARC 18+rating. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case this time around for Gears of War: Reloaded.
Game Spark later contacted Microsoft for clarification on the situation and was told, “The main factors were the blood, gory depictions, and intense violence, which prevented it from receiving a CERO rating.” Microsoft didn’t respond to Game Spark’s request for a comment about an IARC rating for the game.
Typically, in situations like this, rather than outright banning a game, the Japanese version is censored. In 2020,Cyberpunk 2077 faced censorship in the country, and earlier this year,Assassin’s Creed Shadows faced a similar fate, with Ubisoft forced to remove amputations and the ability to toggle them on or off.
Gears of War: Reloaded will be released worldwide on Xbox and PC, and on PS5 everywhere except Japanlater this year.
